Lot 4168

Description

Hafsids of Tunis (Successors of the Muwahhids in North Africa), Abu Zakariya Yahya I ibn 'Abd al Wahid (A.H. 627-647) (A.D. 1230-1249), gold double dinar, no mint stated issued from A.H. 640 to 647 = A.D. 1242-1249, issued and citing the Hafsid Amir only, (A.499, Hazard 550, M.427, BMC -, Lavoix 936). Of fine style, extremely fine and rare.

The Muwahhids (Almohades) began to lose control in North Africa soon after their expulsion from Spain in 629 (1232). Tunis became independent under its Hafsid governor in 627 (1230) and western Algeria followed under the Ziyanids in 633 (1236) who initially acknowledged Hafsid suzerainty. They effectively stayed in power in Tunis after intermittent subjection to Turks, Spanish and Corsairs until their own extinction of the dynasty by the Ottomans in A.H. 982 (1574). Album describes the issue as a gold dinar but both Mitchiner and Hazard states that they are double dinars.